MINNEAPOLIS (AP) Royce Lewis homered in the eighth inning to break open the game, and Chris Paddack bounced back from a rough outing with a sharp performance to lift the Minnesota Twins to a 5-0 victory over the Colorado Rockies on Monday night.

Lewis, who was injured in the season opener and missed two months with a severe right quad strain, has now homered four times in seven games. Lewis took Rockies reliever Nick Mears deep to left for a 435-foot, two-run blast to cap a three-run eighth inning.

Christian VƔsquez, Carlos Correa and Trevor Larnach each drove in a run for the Twins, who have won two in a row after dropping five straight games.

Paddack (5-3) allowed six hits and struck out six in 6 1/3 innings. He pitched out of trouble in the first inning when Coloradoā€™s Charlie Blackmon singled to lead off the game and eventually ended up at third base. But the Twins right-hander struck out Ryan McMahon to strand Blackmon on third.

Rockies right-hander Dakota Hudson (2-8) took the loss despite allowing just four hits in 6 2/3 innings. One of the two runs he allowed was unearned.

Manny Margot scored the gameā€™s first run after doubling to the corner in right and advancing to third on an error by right fielder Hunter Goodman. Margot scored one batter later on a sacrifice fly by VĆ”zquez.

The Twins manufactured another run in the fourth. Lewis reached first base on a force out, advanced to second on Max Kepler's groundout, and scored on Correaā€™s two-out double.

TRAINERS ROOM

Rockies catcher Elias DĆ­az left the game with left calf tightness. DĆ­az was injured in the top of the first inning when he grounded into a double play. He was examined by team trainers and was replaced behind the plate in the bottom of the first by Jacob Stallings.

UP NEXT

RHP Cal Quantrill (5-4, 3.58 ERA) starts the second game of the series for Colorado, looking to follow his strong outing last time out in a win against St. Louis. Minnesota had yet to announce a starter for Tuesdayā€™s game, with a roster move expected postgame.

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